Stresswell

Unstructured Serendipity

When do you go back home? What are your plans after the conference?

At the time I write this, I’ve been in Mexico for a little over a week. For a 4 1/2 day conference. With a couple of extra days on either end of long air-travel days.

Throughout this entire time away, it’s seemed as though every conversation has included some variant of the above two questions. The first was easy to answer: “Wednesday”. The second, required some evolutionary finessing to feel more comfortable inside of me.

At first, my initial response consisted of a rather waffly “Don’t know. Haven’t decided yet.” counterpoint to others’ clear itinerary of daily plans. Eventually, after a few days, I found a definitive (for them) and deliciously satisfying (for me) response: “Unstructured Serendipity”.

These past two days have been wondrously delightful. Low-key and unplanned until individual opportunities arrived. Yes, some opportunities were missed (yet, I harbor no regrets). And, I’ll head back home tomorrow with no lingering need to “let my soul catch up with my body”.

That phrase is the punchline of a story Terry Hershey tells at the beginning of the video [2.08 min] below, entitled Sitting Still.

DO sit still long enough to hear his suggestion during the last 30 seconds. It’s priceless – and pairs perfectly with the idea of unstructured serendipity, I think.

by mary elaine kiener Leave a Comment

Health Professionals Roundtable – Part 4

Vitamins and Whole Food

Welcome to the 4th episode [2.50 min] of this Health Professionals Roundtable and learn from the panelist how and why eating more fruits and vegetables is the most affordable health care plan in which you can invest.

Note: If you missed Parts 1-3, you can access them here:

Part 1 – The Power of Food
Part 2 – Educating Patients
Part 3 – Recommended Servings

If you have been searching for answers for better health, may I invite you to consider the following question:

How would you feel if you actually ate as well as you know you should?

For example, as you scan each of the photos below, pause for a moment to consider how you might feel if you were somehow able to include all (or even most) of these in your diet, EVERY day….

If you’d like more information about Juice Plus+, you can email me directly or by using the form below.

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Health Professional Roundtable – Part 3

Recommended Servings

I don’t know about you, but many of the folks I know (including ME!) do not consistently eat the recommended number of daily servings/amounts of fruits and veggies. And, most simply can’t, don’t or won’t consume the rich variety that’s often described as “eating a rainbow“.

In this 3rd episode [3.11 min] of the Health Professionals Roundtable, the panelists explore some of the challenges individuals and families face when it comes to eating more fruits and veggies. Plus, they’ll introduce how Juice Plus+ can cost-effectively broaden the rainbow on your plate every day!

Note: If you missed Parts 1-2, you can access them here:

Part 1 – The Power of Food
Part 2 – Educating Patients

Juice Plus+ is a nutritional seatbelt. And, nutritional insurance.

If you’d like to learn more about how Juice Plus+ would benefit you (and your family), you can email me directly or use the form below:

by mary elaine kiener 2 Comments

Health Professional Roundtable – Part 2

Educating Patients

You just don’t know what you don’t know, until you know.

Over the past few decades, an increasing number of health care professionals have learned to appreciate how much we didn’t previously understand about how food impacts our ability to be healthy, practice prevention and/or heal from existing diseases.

In part 1 of this Health Professionals Roundtable, the panelists began with a discussion about The Power of Food.

In this 2nd episode [3.37 min], the panelists explore their role as health educators, empowering patients to make informed decisions about their health and wellbeing.

What’s been your experience with YOUR health care professionals? Have you noticed a difference in their conversations with you? [You can leave a comment in the box below.]

[Note: If you missed Part 1, you can access it here => Part 1 – The Power of Food]

by mary elaine kiener Leave a Comment

Do you suffer from “meditation-cushion-failure” syndrome?

OK, I have a confession to make. I’m one of millions of “meditation-cushion-failure” folks. Decades ago (probably in the 70’s), I tried (TM) a number of times – with one of two results. I either got really peeved or I fell asleep. Neither alternative sounded like a desirable outcome. So, I quit. And, judged myself as a failure. Maybe, you can identify.

On the other hand, I’ve always been pretty good at “napitating” – as Dr. Mark Hyman puts it. The practice came in especially handy back in the 80’s when I was writing my dissertation. Whenever I’d get stuck in the writing process, I’d take a nap. When I’d wake up, I’d start writing again before my thoughts got too tangled up with each other. At one critical point, I remember actually having all my note cards spread out around me in bed. Nap, write, nap, write. For days. It worked. [A few months later, during the final typing phase on my very first computer, it felt as though I drained out my “nap” account as I’d get lost in the keyboard as hours sped quickly away with no time available for sleep. But, I digress.]

A quick bit of context setting

When I learned about Focusing just over 10 years ago, I quickly realized that I had actually been a “closet” Focuser my whole life. However, I had never been encouraged to develop and nurture this exquisite natural capacity for body-based, experiential felt-sensing. I was intrigued, delighted and affirmed. I sailed through the certification process and quickly integrated Focusing into both my personal life and professional work.

Early on during this same time period, I had also become aware of HeartMath, the concept of “coherence” and the use of biofeedback to identify and measure periods of coherence. The relevant point for this discussion from my Heartmath-based learnings was learning that coherence is not necessarily a desired “permanent” state. Rather, what truly matters is our ability to recognize when we’re “in coherence” and to reliably find our way back to it when life inevitably pulls us off-center.

As part of my ongoing Focusing routine, I have developed a successful “throughout-the-day” practice I call “Pause. Turn. Listen.” It allows me to “get present in the now” really well—whether for just a momentary check-in or for a longer Focusing partnership session.

About 6 weeks ago, I had one of my increasingly frequent, seemingly random and out-of-nowhere “early morning wonderings”. This one stopped me in my tracks.

A rather cheeky “inner questioner” unexpectedly emerged with a question about whether and why I might actually need a regular “sitting” practice. Especially if, during multiple moments throughout the day, I am able to “come back” to grounded presence (as with my coherence exercise experience). Yet, I also welcomed a deeper curiosity: If one equates a meditation/sitting practice as a concentrated effort to “stay with” centeredness, what happens “off the cushion” in real life? I had no ready answer and the rough notes from my wondering sleepily remained on my IPad.

Fast-forward 6 weeks. My email inbox included Dr. Mark Hyman’s weekly podcast announcement. Its click-bait title, One thing you should do every day got me to open the email. But, when I saw the topic was about meditating, I hesitated. And hesitated again. Something in me clearly didn’t want to revisit my meditation-failure days.

Finally, I gave in to the little voice inside that was encouraging me to listen. To stay curious and maybe learn something new from his guest, Emily Fletcher about how she combines the concepts of mindfulness, meditation and manifesting into what she calls the Ziva Technique. She’s also just released her first book, entitled Stress Less, Accomplish More.

So, yes, I tuned in and listened to Mark Hyman’s “The Doctor’s Farmacy” [45 min.] podcast entitled “Why Meditation is the New Medicine”.

I was hooked! Devoured the book and have just completed my first three days of twice-daily 15-minute meditation sessions.

And, yes, I know I’m sort of gushing away with delight. It makes sense. Finally. I think I’m a convert!

Of course, only time will tell. And, I’ll be sure to share what happens along the way!

by mary elaine kiener 3 Comments

Health Professional Roundtable – Part 1

The Power of Food

As you probably already know, I’ve been a nurse for nearly 45 years. During my undergraduate nursing program, we didn’t address nutrition much–except in relation to disease-specific diets for things like diabetes and ulcers. It wasn’t until the mid-1990’s–when I was desperately looking for a way back to health for myself–that I began the educational journey that would help me understand the amazing power of food as a key component in the foundation for health and wellbeing.

I’m delighted to share a 4-part video series, featuring 5 health professional colleagues who will be discussing a number of subjects, including health, wellness, prevention and proper nutrition.

Today’s episode [3.40 min], entitled The Power of Food is included here. I’ll share Parts 2-4 in subsequent posts.

I’d love your feedback on what you heard. For starters, here are two quotes from the video. Would you agree with either/both of them? Why/why not?

People don’t realize that food is either your best drug or your worst drug….

Until we start eating more fruits and vegetables – real food – we’re not going to get healthier.

You can leave a reply in the box below.